Chicken al la Vodka Stuffed Shells

Chicken al la Vodka Stuffed shells. Yes, it lives up to the hype. What sets this recipe apart from other is…

  1. Individually breaded crispy chunks of bread chicken cutlet – to ensure every single bite is crispy.
  2. Fresh mozzarella bombs – cubed mozzarella that melt into pockets of ooey gooey goodness and does not fade into the mix of shredded cheese.
  3. Fresh vodka sauce inside & outside the shell – this recipe calls for a touch of sauce inside and outside of the shell maximizing that al la vodka flavor we love so much.

Chicken al la Vodka Stuffed Shells

Ingredients:

Vodka Sauce:

4-5 Roma Tomatoes

2-3 cloves of garlic

2 TBSP of garlic

1 TBSP of fresh basil

1/4 cup of vodka

1/4 cup of heavy cream

S&P to taste

2-3 fresh leaves of basil

Chicken Cutlets:

1 full chicken breast, cut & cubed

2 eggs (for the chicken)

1/2 cube of breadcrumbs seasoned

1/4 cup of canola oil for frying

Shells & Stuffing:

8 oz of jumbo shells

1 cup of ricotta

1 egg

1/2 cup of parmesan shredded parmesan

4 oz of fresh mozzarella cubed

1/4 cup of vodka sauce

Vodka Sauce Preparation:

  1. Peel tomatoes. Link to tutorial here.
  2. Heat pan at medium. Add garlic & EVOO. Cook garlic for 3-5 minutes or until lightly browned but not burnt.
  3. Add vodka. Cook on medium low heat for 2-3 minutes.
  4. Lower heat and add tomatoes. S&P to taste.
  5. Simmer on low until sauce like texture achieved.
  6. Add heavy cream & basil. Simmer for an additional time.

Chicken Cutlet Preparation:

  1. Heat oil at medium-high heat in deep-ish frying pan.
  2. Cube chicken breast to about 1/4 inch cubes.
  3. In one empty bowl, whisk eggs. Add touch of water to aid in coating.
  4. In another empty bowl, add bread crumbs. Season to taste with S&P, and dried basil & oregano.
  5. Ensure oil is hot enough for frying by carefully sprinkling a pinch of bread crumbs to see if it immediately reacts.
  6. Fry chicken cutlet cubes. These cubes will crisp extremely quickly giving their size. Focus on the crispiness even if it seems like it is too short of a time to cook. While your chicken pieces should be so small, each should cook with about 1.5 minutes per side, the chicken will have a second time to cook in the oven to ensure fully cooked chicken.
  7. Remove from pan and remove excess oil.

Shell Preparation:

  1. Cook jumbo shells slightly al dente. I cooked my shells for about 7 minutes while the complete cook time on the box said 10 minutes.
  2. Remove shells from boiling water and rinse with cold water. Allow shells to cool.
  3. Add ricotta, egg, parmesan, cubed mozzarella, S&P to taste and vodka sauce to bowl. Mix until fully incorporated.
  4. Add the cheese mixture individually to the shells.
  5. Top each shell with a breaded chicken cutlet bite.
  6. Complete until all shells are filled.
  7. Drizzle remaining vodka sauce on top of shells.
  8. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes.
  9. Remove from oven and sprinkle additional parmesan on top of shells.
  10. Cook for another 3-5 minutes until parmesan is melted.
  11. Garnish with fresh basil, serve & enjoy.